The present invention relates generally to an air conditioner assembly for use in a vehicle, and more particularly to a compact air conditioner which ventilates cold air toward a passenger's upper body portion and warm air toward passenger's lower body portion, and provides for a larger space in the passenger compartment by occupying a smaller area therein.
An example of a known air conditioner assembly is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Sho No. 52-9704, which is shown in FIG. 7. According to this known structure, fresh and recirculated air can be supplied toward a passenger as cool air or heated air. Fresh air is introduced into the air conditioner assembly through a fresh air duct 28a and recirculated air can be similarly introduced into the air conditioner through a recirculated air duct 28b. The introduced air is directed toward the evaporator 6 by means of an air fan 5. Some of the air passing through the evaporator 6 is directed toward a heating means 2, which subsequently warms the air passing through it. The warm air is ventilated toward the passenger compartment through a warm air outlet 19. An air inlet opening 12a is provided between the evaporator 6 and the heating means 2. This air inlet opening 12a communicates between the assembly housing and the cool air duct 11'. The opening and closing of the air inlet 12a is controlled by a cool air damper 13b. When the cool air damper 13b opens as shown is FIG. 7, some of the air directed from the evaporator 6, instead of flowing toward the heating means as described above, flows through the cool air inlet opening 12a into the cool air duct 11' and is ventilated out as cold air toward the passenger compartment through a cold air outlet 17a. Thus, the air conditioner assembly provides a means for ventilating warm air through the warm air outlet 19 toward a lower portion of the passenger compartment and cold air through the cold air outlet 17a toward an upper portion of the passenger compartment. Thus, the passenger receives cold air around his upper body portion and warm air around his lower body portion.
However, the above-described air conditioner assembly has a significant drawback. When a damper 13b is in its open position, as shown in FIG. 7, a portion of the heater is not used effectively for heating. In other words, when the cool air damper 13b is in its closed position, air passing through the evaporator 6 can communicate freely with the upstream face of the heating means 2. However, when the cool air damper 13b is opened, a portion of the upstream face of the heating means 2 is effectively blocked off from the flow of air. Thus, a portion of the heater is not utilized for heating air, thus making the assembly inefficient. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the cool air duct 11' protrudes into the passenger compartment, at least by the width L. Thus, the assembly unnecessarily occupies space in the passenger compartment.
FIG. 8 shows another known air conditioner assembly. This air conditioner also consists of a housing with inlet and outlet openings. An evaporator 6 is provided nearest to the inlet opening. A heating means 2 is mounted so that its downstream face forms an acute angle with an inner wall surface of the housing and is positioned adjacent to a concave portion 200, formed within the housing. An air damper 4 selectively opens and closes a space 3 formed between the heating means 2 and an upper inner wall surface of the housing. When the air damper 4 is in an open position, corresponding to the two-dot chain line which is parallel to the upstream face of the heating means, air which has passed through the evaporator 6 completely bypasses the heating means 2 and is ventilated as cool air through air outlets 17 and/or 18. Further, when the air damper 4 is closed completely, corresponding to the two-dot chain line position vertically above the air damper 4, air is forced through the heating means 2 exclusively, and is ventilated out as warm air. However, no provision is made in the assembly for the simultaneous supply of cool air and warmed air, but only for air of a single temperature. Additionally, FIG. 8 shows that a concave portion 200 is essentially dead space in the passenger compartment and is not put to beneficial use.